724 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
July 16, 1898, 
acre before planting, and 5 cwts. every 
autumn afterwards as long as the bulbs are 
still in the soil. The land is fallowed about 
every fourth year, when the plough is used. 
At other times the spade, fork, and hoe are 
the only implements used. Mr. White 
forces about 500,000 bulbs annually. Some 
idea of the popularity of.certain varieties 
may be judged from the fact that 1,500,000 
bulbs of N. poeticus ornatus, between 
400,000 and 500,000 each of Sir Watkin 
and Horsfieldii, 750,000 N. Telamonius 
plenus, 1,000,000 Double Whites, 100,000 
each of Emperor and Grandee, and 40,000 
Empress, are grown upon this farm, besides 
smaller quantities of others. In the open 
ground the cutting of the Daffodils Emperor 
and Empress at Tresco would be finished 
by March 14th, whereas at Spalding it is 
not commenced till April 7th or 8th. As 
far as open air flowers are concerned, the 
Daffodil cultures at the two places do not 
clash with one another. 
At Frampton, Boston, Daffodils, Lily of 
the Valley, and early Potatos are grown. A 
few flowers of the first-named were obtained 
on February 28th, and picking is continued 
till the middle of May, when Roses become 
plentiful in the market. Crown Imperials 
and Aconites are also grown here. Tulips 
thrive well enough, but can be obtained 
more cheaply from Holland. Messrs. 
Richard Bath & Co., of Wisbech, have 
fifty acres of land devoted to Daffodils and 
various other flowers for market, the rest 
of the farm of 450 acres being planted with 
fruit trees and bushes. Altogether the 
company holds about 900 acres of land 
devoted to flowers and fruit. In a bed of 
Narcissus Sir Watkin, an average of ten 
flowers are obtained from each bulb. 
Surely this is excessive. Daffodil bulbs 
generally are planted in October and lifted 
in July when to be sold. Tulips 
are grown for cutting. Other flowers 
cultivated here are Roses, Carnations, 
Pansies, Polyanthuses, Wallflowers, 
Violets, Clematises and Dahlias. 
-—*•- 
The Potato Shaws were blackened by frost at the 
end of June in the neighbourhood of Keith, Aber¬ 
deenshire. 
Postponement of Show.—The Redhill, Reigate and 
District Carnation and Picotee Society’s show has 
been postponed from Saturday the 23rd to Friday the 
29th inst., owing to the lateness of the season, and 
the backward state of the Carnations. 
What is a Drummer P—On this side of the water he 
is simply a man who murders music and paralyses 
people by hammering away on a thing called a drum ; 
in the " States ” the horticultural trade has bestowed 
the title on the traveller who comes to look up 
business. 
Honour to M. Baltet.—The well-known French 
nurseryman, M. Charles Baltet, has just received a 
gold medal from the National Horticultural Society 
of France, on the occasion of his publishing the 
6th edition of his book, entitled “The Art of Graft¬ 
ing. 1 ’ This book is not unknown amongst British 
horticulturists. 
Bamboos at Bicton.—Several species of these 
woody and noble-looking grasses are grown in the 
beautiful grounds of the Hon. Mark Rolle, at Bicton, 
Devon, including such fine species as Arundinaria 
japonica, A. Simonii, A. falcata and Phyllostachys 
aurea. They make very fine canes, ripening up 
perfectly, and Mr. Mayne, the gardener, cannot 
understand why they do not do better down in Corn¬ 
wall. He should have thought it was just the home 
for them. He enquires whether it may not be the 
case that the growers there give too much in shade 
and moisture, as he thinks they would then be so soft 
that frost would play havoc with them. At Bicton 
he has to cut them back annually to keep them 
within bounds. 
Jules Verne has now reached the age of seventy 
and attributes his health and vitality to a meagre 
diet of herbs and eggs. 
A Lighthouse of Bamboo has recently been built in 
Japan. It does not rot like other kinds of wood and 
is said to resist the waves better. 
A New Rose flowered Lilac.—According to the 
Btrtletino Della R. Socicta Toscana di Orticultura, M. 
Thureau, of Garches, presented a new variety of 
Lilac, named Monsieur Thureau, at the last meeting 
of the Central Society of France. The flowers are 
of a beautiful lively rose colour. 
The Richmond Show.—The Rose show recently 
held at Richmond, Surrey, was better all round than 
on any previous occasion, with the exception of trade 
groups. The Roses were fine, and the local people 
were much taken with the rockery of Alpine plants 
put up by the Guildford Hardy Plant Co. The gatp 
money was the largest ever taken, and amounted to 
£ l 39 - 
Kniphofia longicollis. —A species of Red Hot Poker 
has recently been introduced to Italy under this 
name, but its relative hardiness has not yet been 
sufficiently proved under conditions similar to those 
of K. aloides, the best known species. It promises 
to be an ornamental summer flowering plant in the 
opinion of the editor of the Bulletino della R. Societa 
Toscana di Orticultura. The flowers are rosy in bud 
and of a beautiful lemon-yellow when fully expanded. 
Children’s Geranium Club.—This unique club has 
this year organised a flower show, which was opened 
on Monday evening last, the nth ult., by the 
Duchess of Devonshire, at the Cambridge House 
Settlement, Camberwell Road. The chief feature 
was a competition of " Geraniums ” (Pelargoniums) 
amongst the members of the club. Young plants 
were sent out in the spring to 700 members, and of 
that number no fewer than 670 were returned into 
competition. Amongst the notables who were 
present at the show were the Attorney-General, the 
Countess of Jersey, Lady George Hamilton, and 
Lady Darling. 
Onoclea Struthiopteris, the Ostrich Fern, is culti¬ 
vated largely in the States. In Michigan, where it 
abounds in a wild state, its fronds are extensively 
used for decorations on public holidays, such as 
Memorial Day, Children’s Day, and Fourth of July, 
for which occasions the plants are dug up in 
quantities from the woods and planted in pots, 
boxes and other receptacles. This Onoclea does 
wonderfully well under cultivation, and in addition to 
being perfectly hardy it may be lifted at almost any 
time of the year, and its fronds will not show any 
signs of distress. Even in winter it can be dug out 
from under several feet of snow, potted up, and 
started growing. It likes a soil rich in humus, and 
when given this, with partial shade and plenty of 
moisture during the growing season, it developes an 
exceedingly imposing presence. 
Carnations, Picotees and Auriculas at Edenside.— 
The improvement of florists’ flowers continues to 
enjoy marked attention at the hands of that veteran 
florist,Mr. James Douglas, Edenside, Great Bookham, 
Surrey. He has just issued a list of border and 
tree Carnations, Picotees, and Auriculas; but it is 
something more than a list, for much useful informa¬ 
tion to beginners and would-be cultivators of these 
popular flowers is added. The best varieties are 
also fully described, so that the reader can pick and 
chose for himself if he has any notion at all of the 
flowers under notice. New varieties, filling up gaps 
in the raDge of colour, and also furnishing improve¬ 
ments upon older sorts, are annually being raised by 
Mr Douglas, who also secures the best of the acquisi¬ 
tions of other people, including the Hayes Carnations. 
The constitution of the new self and fancy varieties, 
now so plentiful, is remarkable by comparison with 
that of the old pets of the florist. An article entitled 
“ Notes on Culture ” gives a history of Carnations in 
this country, and then proceeds to deal with propaga¬ 
tion by seeds, layers, and cuttings. Malmaison 
Carnations and tree or perpetual flowering varieties 
are dealt with in the same way, the respective 
articles being followed by descriptive lists of the best 
sorts. Cultural notes are also published concernirg 
Auriculas, and all can be relied upon from such a 
skilled florist. 
Woodthorpe, Southend Road.—It is always interest¬ 
ing to note any fresh extension of horticulture. H. 
G. Simonds, Esq., recently residing at Mendham 
House, Park Place, Leyton, found the accommoda¬ 
tion there altogether inadequate for the housing of 
Orchids, of which he is getting together a choice 
collection. For some time past he has been on the 
outlook for a larger place within easy reach of Lon¬ 
don where he could build a suitable range of houses 
to enable him to extend his collection of Orchids. 
He has now acquired Woodthorpe, Southend Roar*, 
Beckenham, where he is to grow Orchids and Roses 
— by no means a bad combination. We wish him 
hearty success. His gardener, Mr. G. E. Day, also 
has these flowers fully at heart. 
The Flag in Plants. —An eminent Frenchman has 
said that flowers and plants form a ground upon 
which all nations can meet amicably, since each 
nation can see in flowers the colours of its own flag. 
Lincoln Park, Chicago, U S.A., has for one of its 
most popular features the “ Stars and Stripes ” ex¬ 
emplified in the shape of a carpet bed. The red 
"stripes" are formed of Alternanthera Lindenii, 
and the white ones of Leucophyta Brownii, the 
folds in the flag also being shown by the Alternan¬ 
thera. Echeverias set in a field of crushed blue 
stone represent the "stars." The blue stone has 
been obtained by crushing limestone and then 
staining it blue with a mixture of Prussian blue, 
turpentine, linseed oil and Japan. 
A Poet-Gardener.—In the Buchan district of Aber¬ 
deenshire the grave recently closed over the remains 
of Mr. Alexander Kennedy, who was born in the 
parish of Slains seventy-three years ago. He com¬ 
menced life as a farm servant, from which the 
transition to a gardener was easy. He was head 
gardener at Pitlurg House for thirty years until old 
age compelled him to resign his onerous duties. He 
still had a love for his profession and undertook the 
management of the farmers' gardens in the district 
where he resided, giving them great satisfaction by 
his skill and taste. He commenced to write verses 
while he was yet a young man, describing the scenes 
by which he was surrounded, and was received with 
considerable favour by the labouring country people 
who were his patrons and readily bought his book 
which he published under the title of " Rhymes 
and Love Strains." He also wrote metrical epistles 
to his friends and other effusions relating to a 
pastoral life. 
A Fine Odontoglossum Pescatorei.—A beautifully 
blotched variety of this species, having shapely, 
round flowers, turned up at the Sale Rooms of 
Messrs. Protheroe & Morris recently, and several 
having their eye upon it the price was quickly run 
up to seventy-five guineas, at which figure it was 
knocked down to H. T. Pitt, Esq., Rosslyn, Stamford 
Hill. The elliptic sepals were spotted with dark 
violet-purple, the spots being the more numerous on 
the lateral sepals. The petals were white with a 
cluster of dark purple blotches on the centre. The 
lip had a triangular cluster of dark purple blotches 
tinted with crimson. The golden crest was orna¬ 
mented with brown and violet. On the 8th inst. 
there was a lively demand for Laelia (Brassavola) 
digbyana, in the shape of newly imported pieces in 
fine condition. They were bought at prices ranging 
from £1 to 4$ gs., several good bits going at the latter 
price, and many of them not much less. 
The Japanese as Flower Lovers.—A correspondent 
to American Gardening, who has had very intimate 
relations with the Japanese, writes, that of all the 
denizens of the earth none are so passionately 
devoted to the culture and love of flowers. They 
have special days set aside for the enjoy¬ 
ment and worship of flowers, as each 
season brings them forth. When in early spring the 
Cherry blossoms break their buds and show forth in 
all their glory the tokaido (public roads) of the 
empire, where in many places these trees are 
planted, are alive with throngs of happy mortals, old 
and young, small toddlers carrying on their backs, 
securely strapped, wee infants, all bent on admiring 
the pink and white blossoms." That flowers have 
been assiduously cultivated in Japan for centuries 
the numerous subjects which have found their way 
to our gardens from thence bear sufficient witness. 
